Experts: Suicide needs same attention as addiction crisis

Katelyn Simpson is three years past her suicide attempt. Simpson is now living a fulfilling life, and is proud of how far she has come. She wants anyone who is considering suicide to know it does get better, and they can reach out for help. (Photo: Jessica Phelps/The Advocate)Buy Photo

In 2015, just two weeks before her 20th birthday, Simpson was at a low point in her life. She had battled with depression and anxiety for years and had been seeing a counselor since she was 9 years old, but the lack of a support system and the ending of a romantic relationship left her feeling like she was a burden.

"I just felt like I was just really not necessary in people’s lives at that time. I was like 'Well, I just kind of don’t want to be here anymore.'"

She attempted suicide by trying to overdose on the depression medication she was taking at the time. But after taking the medication, she realized she made a mistake. She drove herself to Licking Memorial Hospital for immediate care and spent three days at Shepherd Hill.

Now Simpson, 22, continues counseling for her depression and was recently diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, but she is managing it better than before. She has built a life with her boyfriend, Charlie Bennett, his 7-year-old daughter, Ellie, and their 2-year-old son, Carter.

Simpson talks openly about her attempt in an effort to prevent others from taking the actions she did. She tattooed a semicolon on her wrist, a symbol that her life continues.

"I look at it and I look at my surroundings and I'm like 'Wow, I have a 7 year old who looks up to me ... I was blessed to be able to experience a pregnancy with my son and have a successful birth with him," she said. "I was able to give a life to somebody else so if I would have ended mine that wouldn't have happened."

But for 31 other people in Licking County that realization never came. In 2017, 31 people in Licking County died by suicide. In the same time frame 35 people died of accidental drug overdoses.

The year before, 2016, while 16 people died of accidental drug overdoses, 29 people died by suicide, according to the Licking County Health Department.

Penny Sitler, executive director of Mental Health America of Licking County, said suicide needs the same kind of attention as the opiate crisis. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

"We need every person to become educated in what are the signs and symptoms of someone who is having a mental health issue," she said. "Everybody should understand what that looks like."

Justina Wade, parent support and suicide prevention coordinator for MHA, said mental illness connects to both suicide and the opiate addition crisis.

"I can't speak for all addictions, but a lot of times people self medicate when they're having a mental illness and then that leads to addiction, which then could lead to an overdose," she said.

Sitler said more conversation and education is needed about mental health and suicide risk factors to prevent suicides.

"People are very willing to say 'My mom has cancer,' but no one will say 'My mom has depression and can't get out of bed some days.' That's just not a conversation people are really willing (to have), and we'd like to change that," Sitler said. "We want it to become something people are willing to say 'Hey, we need help. My mom's really suffering with this and we need some help.' And have people say, 'How can we help you?'"

Simpson said for those who don't understand mental illness, education is the best way to help someone who is struggling.

"Find a book about it, research online, just look into what you can do to help that struggling family rather than kind of shy away from them because shying away doesn’t do anything," she said.

MHA provides education and training to groups at no charge, Sitler said.

"We want as many people educated about this as possible. We've done churches, we've done businesses, we've done organizations, clubs," she said. "We can do anything from a 30 minute talk to an eight hour training, and anything in between basically."

Whether it’s family or friends, Simpson said having a support system is crucial. She has that now through Bennett and members of her church, who often tell her she is loved and valued, she said.

"Sometimes people can just tell if I’m having bad day because it’s not something that is 100 percent gone," she said. "My suicidal thoughts are but I still struggle with other areas of my mental health."

Between the 2-1-1 line, MHA, Behavioral Healthcare Partners of Central Ohio, Simpson said there are numerous resources for people in Licking County.

"It’s not something to be afraid, like to admit that you have, but it is something that should be treated because it’s not OK to be not OK," she said.